Astronautics Club launched to attract students

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) – Astronautics Club of Malaysia, which is launched today, targets a membership of 100,000 among primary school students aimed at getting them intrerested in the science fields at a young age.

Astronautics Association of Malaysia (AAM) president Capt Mohammed Faiz Kamaludin said it was proposed that the club also complemented the co-curricular activities for the teaching of science and aerospace technology.

“We want to make the learning of science as a fun subject because for children, science is a difficult subject,” he told a media conference at the club Launch in the National Planetarium.

For yesterday’s participation alone, 100 students from Asia Pacific Smart School, Subang have registered as club members.

Meanwhile Education Ministry Arts and Co-curriculum Division Assistant Director Alias Yoop, who was also present, said the ministry fully supported any programmes that involved student learning in schools,

“We fully supported efforts done by the association but it has to get approval from the ministry as part of the procedure to enter government schools,” he said.

He, however, said the ministry welcomed the setting up of clubs based on the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

AAM was formed in 2009 with its membership comprising 59 candidates who participated in the national astronaut programme from 2006-2007 and its patron is the country’s first astronaut Datuk Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor.

On the Astronautics Club, Mohammed Faiz said it had the cooperation of National Space Agency (Angkasa) as well as Science, Technology and dan Innovation (MOSTI).